eill Discusses Her Distinctive Second EP ‘ACTION’ & Long-Awaited Asian Tour: Interview

Since making her major-label debut in April 2024, eill has enthralled countless people with her unparalleled voice and her overwhelming musical sensibilities. On Nov. 5, she will release her second EP, Action. This will be her first CD release in three and a half years, and the title track, “ACTION,” is the ending theme of the second arc (the Nerima Arc) of the TV anime TOUGEN ANKI: Legend of the Cursed Blood (airing on Nippon Television and affiliated stations). The EP contains a total of six songs, through which she expresses different aspects of her artistry.

She recently spoke with Billboard Japan at length about what went into the making of the album and about her upcoming [ACTION TOUR 2025-2026], which will begin in November.

On November 5, you’ll be releasing your second EP, ACTION, and the title track will be the ending theme to the TV anime TOUGEN ANKI: Legend of the Cursed Blood. I’m sure you watched the anime before writing the song. What was your mindset going into creating this song?

I’ve written several tie-up songs for animes before, and I’ve always made sure that I didn’t just make typical J-pop songs, but instead gave them some more musical depth. This time, I used some elements of new jack swing. I wanted to create a song born from the battle between dance and anime. I also listened to music from the new jack swing era and talked with other musicians to figure out what kind of synthesizer tone to go with.

Was that at the request of the anime producers?

There weren’t any requests, I just thought about what would fit the anime. There are battle scenes, so I didn’t want to make the song flat. Instead, I wanted there to be soft parts and powerful parts, to match the battle scenes. It was also important that listeners could get into the music and dance to it.

How did the name “ACTION” come to you?

I’d like to be able to say “I read the manga and the name just came to me,” but unfortunately, it was nothing like that (laughs). When I was working on the melody, recording a temporary vocal, my producer had left their mic on, and they let out a sneeze, which sounded kind of like “hakushon.” The completed song starts out with record scratching, and then someone saying “ACTION,” and the point where they say that is right where my producer sneezed. We were like “This is fire!” So that’s where “ACTION” came from.

I’ve got to say, I wasn’t expecting an origin story like that (laughs).

Right? (laughs) But it really does perfectly express this transition into the next era, so I think it’s a great title.

I bet you’re looking forward to seeing the reaction when the show starts airing. Now, about “last scene.” This is the theme song of season three of Love Transit (on Prime Video), and it’s the third theme song you’ve written. What was the writing process like?

Well, originally, I’d written a demo version of the song a long time ago, so I changed the arrangement a bit for Love Transit. I wanted to make it cinematic, so I added strings. Love Transit is the kind of show that viewers can get emotionally invested in, because they can see their own past or present romantic experiences reflected in it. So with “last scene.” My hope is that listeners will remember past loves as they listen to the song, and that they’ll listen to it after future heartbreaks, too. I wanted to make a song for people who were at a crossroads, or for a movie about people at a crossroads in their lives.

One thing I keep wondering is why you put the period at the end of the title.

I wanted to add my own personal touch (laughs). “last scene” by itself would just be so commonplace, so I decided to add a period at the end (laughs).

Another song on the EP is “what am i made for?” That’s a deep title. What led to the making of this song?

I just finished this song recently. Because of that, it might just be the song that best reflects where I am now. After having had different experiences, like solo shows, I wanted to sing a song about life. I’m not the kind of person that has lofty goals, so when I’m really busy, and I’m really working hard, I often think “What am I working so hard for?” The reason I work so hard has got to be something that’s in me, but I sometimes lose sight of it. I often find myself struggling to answer the question of why I’m making music. It’s not like I’m agonizing about it or anything. When I write a good song, or I put on a good live show, those worries all vanish. But if someone asks me “what kinds of things have you been worried about lately?” sometimes the answer is “Why am I making music?” So I expressed that through the lyrics to this song.

Moving on to “NEEMIA,” this is a bit of strange song. What does “NEEMIA” mean?

“NEEMIA” doesn’t mean anything. I wanted to repeat some word with no particular meaning, and I was like “neemia’s got a nice ring it, don’t you think?” I don’t even remember why I said “neemia.” In the temporary vocal track, I just sang “nya” for the lyrics, and that stuck. The world’s getting too complicated, so I was thinking that not everything has to have a meaning. That’s how I came up with the song.

That’s a very artistic sense of playfulness. It really clicks for me.

But the lyrics are packed with meaning, and the song has the same vibe as my music from my indie days. I think for people who know my music from back, it might feel a bit nostalgic.

Looking at the song selection, there’s a lot of variety on the EP. In November, you’re going to be starting a tour, [ACTION TOUR 2025-2026]. You’ll be playing in five cities in Asia, right?

Earlier, I talked about not being the kind of person with goals and dreams, but that said, one goal I have had, ever since I started performing as eill, has been to put on an Asian tour, so I’m really looking forward to it!

You’ll be visiting different countries, so there’ll lots of fun things to do, in addition to the shows.

So many. In Taipei, I want to do java sparrow fortunetelling. The birds tell your fortune by instinctively picking cards. I hear it’s really accurate. So I definitely want to do that, and then in Thailand I want to go to the night market. There’s also this artist I love named LUSS. They made a guest appearance on my last album, and I’d love it if they could come to a show and we could collaborate (laughs). I love Korea and I’ve been there several times. There are these places set up outside convenience stores where you can drink alcohol. They have paper cups and ramen machines, so I like to kick back with some Chamisul (a Korean liquor) and some Shin Ramyun. So I’ll definitely be doing that. In Shanghai, I want to get false eyelashes. In Chinese, false eyelashes are called “jiajiemao,” and I want to just go to a shop and buy jiajiemao to my heart’s content. I hear Hong Kong is really humid—so humid that the locks on people’s houses break. I always keep the humidity level in my house at 80%, for the sake of my voice, so I think Hong Kong will be perfect for me. I want to feel that humidity, so I’m looking forward to it!

They all sound fun. And, of course, you’re going to be touring Japan as well. How are you feeling, going into your first tour in a year?

My songs often express what I feel inside, but before reaching the level of the emotional content of my music, I want the audience to want to move their bodies and throw their hands up in the air. I want people to be more honest with themselves about their urges and desires. I hope that’s the kind of tour this will turn out to be.

I’m looking forward to it! In closing, what are your next goals, after finishing the Asian tour?

Right now, nothing specific. But throughout my life, I’ve kept pushing forward even though I didn’t have any specific goals. Recently, looking back on it, I’ve realized that I’ve led a really wonderful life. So I can’t just put a lid on my own weaknesses and worries. I mean, after all, these are emotions that only I can experience, right? If I take them head-on, I can change my own future. So I plan to cherish each and every day.

—This interview by Azusa Takahashi first appeared on Billboard Japan